Wentworth Sweeps Eastern Nazarene to Run Win Streak to Four

QUINCY, Mass. – The Wentworth baseball team scored 33 runs on 24 hits to run its win streak to four games as the Leopards swept Eastern Nazarene, 15-3, and 18-5, in a The Commonwealth Coast Conference contest played at Adams Field.

Wentworth took a 1-0 lead in the home half of the first inning when junior Matt Jordan (Concord, N.H.), who drew a leadoff walk and went to second on a single off the bat of sophomore Conner Flisnik (Marcy, N.Y.), scored when senior Pete Oggeri (Sandy Hook, Conn.) reach on an error.  The Leopards added three more in the third to take a 4-0 lead as junior Mike Diodato (Asbury, N.J.) hit a sacrifice fly that scored Flisnik, who had led off with a single.  The big hit of the inning came when sophomore Justin Bolla (Newburyport, Mass.) delivered a two-run single.

Eastern Nazarene did all of its scoring in the top of the fourth inning.  Senior James Williams (Truckee, Calif.) hit a two-out double, which was followed by a freshman Joel Torres (Bronx, N.Y.) walk.  Junior Juan Rivera (Pelham, N.H.) scored them both with a two-run single and eventually scored when sophomore Johan Villalona (Bronx, N.Y.) reached on an error.

In the home half of the inning the Leopards plated four runs, buoyed by a three run, bases-clearing double from junior Ben Danker (Branford, Conn.) and an RBI single from classmate Jake McManus (Hopkinton, N.H.).  The Leopards scored two runs in the fifth inning, which included an RBI single from Jordan.  An inning later Wentworth rounded out the scoring with a five-run inning, thanks in part to a two-run double from Jordan and an RBI double from Danker.

Sophomore Adam Farrar (Newport, Vt.) improved to 2-0 on the year as he allowed three runs (two earned) on 2 hits in six innings of work.  Jordan (3-for-4, three RBI), and Danker (2-for-4, four RBI) paced the offense, with help from two hits apiece off the bats of Flisnik and McManus.  Junior Justin Denbow (Readfield, Maine) took the loss (1-3) for the Lions, allowing eight runs (seven earned) on seven hits.  Rivera had two RBI for Eastern Nazarene.

The Lions set the tone early in game two when junior Victor Torres (Bronx, N.Y.) deposited the first pitch he saw over the right-field fence.  Back-to-back doubles from Denbow and junior Luke Matthews (Boise, Idaho) made it 2-0 in favor of the Lions.  Wentworth responded with three in the home half of the inning as Danker drew a bases-loaded walk, Diodato delivered a sacrifice fly, and McManus had an RBI groundout.

Eastern Nazarene tied the game in the top of the second when Victor Torres delivered an RBI double, but the Leopards took the lead for good in the home half of the inning when freshman Adam Wong (Lewiston, Maine) singled and advanced two bases on an error and was driven home on a Jordan groundout.  An inning later the Leopards took a commanding, 10-3 lead with a six run inning.  McManus delivered and RBI single, Bolla had a sacrifice fly, and Wong and Jordan each had two-run hits.

The Lions plated single runs in the fourth and sixth innings, but the Leopards scored a pair in the fourth and three runs in the fifth and sixth innings before the game was called due to darkness at the conclusion of the sixth inning.

Sophomore Kyle Cruz (Burlington, Conn.) improved to 2-0 as he allowed four runs on seven hits and struck out a career-high 10 over five innings.  Offensively Jordan and McManus each went 2-for-4 with three RBI, while Diodato and Wong each had two hits and two RBI.

Senior Gregg Olsen (San Diego, Calif.) took the loss (1-3) as he allowed 11 runs (seven earned) on five hits in three-plus innings.  Offensively for the Lions, Victor Torres was 2-for-3 with two RBI, while Joel Torres and junior Anthony Melendez (Yonkers, N.Y.) each had two hits.

With the two wins, Wentworth improves to 14-6 overall and 7-3 in league play.  Winners of four straight, the Leopards travel to Gordon for a conference doubleheader on Monday at 2:00 p.m.  That same day, Eastern Nazarene (9-9, 2-4) travels to TCCC foe Endicott for a pair of games.